Ferret food

With their cute appearance and restless character, ferrets have won the hearts of many animal lovers around the world and are among the ten most popular pets. Those who are considering purchasing this wonderful animal are naturally interested in how to feed a ferret at home.

What do ferrets eat in the wild?

When drawing up a nutrition plan for a domestic ferret, it is worth bearing in mind that this animal is by nature a predator, and therefore a significant proportion of its diet is meat. Under natural conditions, ferrets feed on various small animals, mainly mice and rabbits. They do not disdain birds, frogs, worms, insects. Often they also eat bird eggs and fish. But wild ferrets practically do not eat vegetable food, berries and fruits: it is poorly processed in their stomachs. However, such a diet seems unbalanced only at first glance. It is live protein food that contributes to the most complete development of these animals.

Ideally, a ferret’s diet at home should be as close as possible to its diet in the wild. However, many owners fundamentally refuse this method of feeding animals for obvious reasons. Not everyone can calmly watch their pet crunch cockroaches with pleasure or kill a mouse. In addition, supplying such food fresh daily is problematic and not cheap. Fortunately, there are alternative feeding methods that will help you raise your ferret to be healthy and happy.

What do ferrets eat at home

Most ferret owners prefer to feed them specially prepared homemade food. This type of food is much simpler and cheaper than the above, but requires compliance with certain nuances.

As already noted, the main food for wild ferrets is protein, which enters their body along with meat. Therefore, it is logical to assume that domestic ferrets also eat meat. But if you feed the animal only lamb or chicken, then its diet will be inadequate, and this, in turn, will negatively affect the well-being of the animal.

The fact is that although ferrets in the wild ignore plant foods, they get it by eating small animals. Along with meat, undigested food of its victims enters the stomach of the ferret, which the body breaks down into carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

Purchased meat is not able to provide the animal with a whole set of nutrients. Therefore, the animal’s diet must be supplemented with other foods and vitamin supplements. With proper feeding, your ferret will be playful and live a long life. Thanks to well-chosen food, the appearance of the ferret will also change for the better: the coat will become more fluffy and shiny, the teeth and claws will be strong, and the eyes will be mischievous and shining.

What can you feed your ferret

Having decided to feed the ferret with natural food, you should be very careful about what foods you can give the animal, because an incorrectly chosen diet can seriously harm the animal. Moreover, it is important to remember that some products in the daily diet are required, and some should be given out periodically and in a strictly allotted amount.

Common list

Below is a list of what you can safely feed your ferret at home:

• various types of raw meat (beef, horse meat, veal, rabbit meat);
• raw poultry (chicken, turkey, duck, goose);
• cereals from cereal flour (rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, millet);
• boiled vegetables, mashed (cauliflower, zucchini, broccoli).

Some products should be given rationed. Among them:

• offal from the named meat without films (liver, kidneys, stomachs, heart, lungs);
• boiled sea fish (trout, mackerel, horse mackerel, cod, flounder);
• fish and animal fat;
• cottage cheese;
• chicken and quail eggs.

Although domestic ferrets are happy to eat any fish, not all types of fish are suitable as food. So, river fish can provoke a lack of vitamin B1 and worms, and varieties such as pollock, hake and blue whiting can cause anemia.

Unlike meat, fish for ferret food must be boiled and minced with a meat grinder together with the head and bones, as these parts are rich in vitamins and minerals.

The basis of the diet for the ferret

Since meat feed makes up the majority of a ferret’s diet, it is worth paying due attention to its selection and processing:

1. The chewing apparatus of ferrets is designed to butcher living flesh, and therefore the meat that ferrets eat at home must also be raw.
2. Meat in its pure form should be at least 50% of the daily menu of the animal.
3. It is not recommended to boil the meat, as the structure of the fibers is compacted during cooking, and it will be more difficult for the ferret’s delicate stomach to digest it. Feeding with such a product can cause obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract of the animal.
4. Purchased meat must be fresh. In a stale product, harmful microorganisms multiply very quickly.
5. Since ferrets have a fast metabolism, it is vital for them to have fast-digesting animal protein in their diet. It is best to feed a ferret chicken, duck, turkey, goose, beef, horse meat, veal and rabbit without bones and films.
6. It is strongly not recommended to feed animals with pork, lamb and any products from this meat – it can cause obesity and heart disease in animals.
7. You should not use purchased minced meat for feeding ferrets: it may contain impurities of pork meat. Minced meat can be made independently from the above types of meat, adding to it the skin from the cleaned poultry, cut off pure fat and ground chicken wings and necks.
8. Animal fat is a must in a ferret’s diet, so you don’t need to specifically trim the meat.
9. Meat offal before feeding the ferret must be washed and removed from their films. They should make up no more than 15% of the daily diet of the animal.
10. It is not advisable to purchase meat and fillets in trays for ferret food, as they may contain preservatives that provoke allergies in animals. It is also better to refuse frozen meat, except for rabbit or turkey meat.

Clean water is the key to your pet’s health

An important aspect of a ferret’s good nutrition is the drinking regimen. Since these animals have an accelerated metabolism, they drink very often, 20-30 times a day. Thus, they are saved from overheating, since they do not have skin sweat glands and are not able to cool their body by sweating. The lack of moisture instantly affects the health of the animal, causing dehydration and heat stroke, and can lead to its death. In this regard, it is necessary to carefully ensure that the ferret always has free access to fresh, not too cold water.

What else can you give ferrets

As noted earlier, a ferret’s diet should not consist solely of meat, as it does not cover the animal’s need for minerals and carbohydrates. To achieve a balance in the diet of the animal, it is worth diversifying feeding with other products, but this must be done responsibly.

So, vegetables should be present in the ferret menu, but only those that contain a small amount of fiber. These include:

• cucumber;
• a tomato;
• courgette;
• radish;
• pumpkin;
• broccoli;
• cauliflower;
• Bell pepper.

Vegetables should be cut into small pieces or grind them into a puree. The share of plant foods should not exceed 10% of the total food.

This also includes fruits. Ferrets are very fond of eating sweet berries and fruits, such as:

• banana;
• mango;
• persimmon;
• an Apple;
• pear;
• watermelon;
• Strawberry wild-strawberry;
• currant;
• cherry, sweet cherry;
• gooseberry.

These products are preferable to feed the ferrets raw in small pieces, after removing the peel from them, so that the animals do not get constipated. Dried, candied and canned fruits, as well as citrus fruits, grapes and raisins, avocados, pineapple and melon are not recommended due to the fact that they are toxic to the body of the animal.

Dairy products deserve special mention in the diet of ferrets. The structure of the digestive system of these animals does not allow them to process lactose, so pure milk should never be given to animals, otherwise it will cause diarrhea. However, dairy products are important for calcium replenishment and cannot be completely eliminated from feeding. In particular, it is permissible to feed ferrets:

• cottage cheese;
• kefir 0 – 1%;
• Bio-ryazhenka.

All products must be fat-free, without sugar, flavorings and dyes. It is necessary to feed dairy products by dividing the product into small portions and only on the recommendation of a veterinarian.

Can a ferret have an egg

You can also enrich the menu of the animal if you periodically feed it with an egg. It contains a rich supply of vitamins B12, D and E, as well as fats that a ferret cannot get from meat in sufficient quantities.

However, only quail eggs can be given raw to ferrets. A raw chicken egg contains the compound avidin, which in the body of the animal reacts with the substance biotin and destroys it. Biotin deficiency, in turn, leads to serious metabolic disorders in the animal. When boiling an egg, avidin breaks down, and the product becomes safe for the animal, but it is still necessary to remove the protein from it first so as not to provoke an allergic reaction.

Feeding a ferret with boiled yolk should be done no more than 1-2 times a week.

What kind of dry food can be given to a ferret

For those who, for some reason, cannot prepare natural food for the ferret every day or are not sure that the animal’s diet is correct, feeding with specialized feeds is suitable. In Our Country, for several years now, the supply of professional feed for ferrets has been established, among which you can find products for every taste and budget. On the market, such feeds are represented by several large companies:

• Padovan;
• Eagle Pack;
• Bosch Totally Ferret;
• Evo Dry Ferret Food.

Like other dry foods, ferret formulations fall into 3 classes:

• Economy;
• Premium;
• Super-Premium.

It is best to feed the ferret with the last two classes of food – they are of higher quality, although they are more expensive. Economy-class feeds are often made from meat leftovers that are not nutritionally different: hence the low price.

The composition of feed should not be ignored. For complete feeding, the ferret needs 35-40% protein, 20-22% fat and no more than 5% vegetable fibers in the menu. Dry food should not contain soy meat.

Finding the best dry food for ferrets can be tricky. It all depends on the animal itself, so after feeding with new food, you should pay attention to the condition of the animal. The food is suitable for a ferret if:

• his coat is shiny and soft, the hairs do not split or break;
• skin of a healthy color without redness;
• eyes are clear and shining;
• he does not have itching and inflammation;
• there is a good appetite;
• the belly of the animal is soft and rounded, and the ribs do not stick out;
• he has regular stools, not too thin or too hard;
• the color of the stool does not have a strong odor or a yellow-green tint.

Can a ferret eat cat food?

Before the advent of dry food lines designed specifically for ferrets, few ferret owners fed their pets cat food. Although such feeding is practiced today, nevertheless, such food should not be abused, since it does not meet the needs of the animals. Dry cat food usually has enough protein for a ferret to develop normally, but is very low in fat. Those who choose to feed their pet ferrets in this way should opt for Premium Chicken or Turkey Feeds for Kittens and Pregnant Cats that provide the right balance of nutrients for the animal. To avoid nutritional deficiencies with this diet, you should additionally feed the ferret with boiled eggs or meat, give vitamin supplements. It is not recommended to buy food based on fish.

How many times a day should a ferret be fed?

Unlike cats and dogs, ferrets do not need to be fed on a schedule of 1 to 2 meals. A ferret’s fast metabolism and active lifestyle means that the animal must constantly eat something to feel good. Therefore, there should always be some food in the bowl.

During the day, a ferret can eat from 7 to 10 times, and this does not depend on the time of day. If the diet is composed correctly, you should let him eat whenever he wants, and not be afraid that the animal will get fat.

What vitamins should be given to a ferret

In order for the care of ferrets at home to be complete, it is necessary to ensure not only the correct feeding of the animals, but also the right choice of vitamin supplements.

As with dry food, there are vitamins formulated specifically for ferrets. The largest manufacturer of such additives is the company “8 in 1”. This brand offers both general strengthening compositions and special preparations for the beauty and health of wool.

The body of ferrets is not able to independently accumulate vitamins of groups B and C in the right amount, therefore, feeding the animals with vitamins must be carried out daily for 1 month, repeating the course 2-3 times throughout the year. However, this should be done if the animals eat natural products. Ferrets fed dry food get all the important vitamins and minerals from it and do not need additional feeding.

Once or twice a year, you can feed the animals with fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E. The formulations containing them are usually produced in the form of oil solutions. It is important to strictly observe the dosage by adding 1 drop of the composition to the feed of the animal every 2 days for a month. An excess of vitamins can cause poisoning.

Features of feeding during molting and pregnancy

An additional dose of vitamins is required for ferrets during molting, as well as for females during pregnancy and nursing.

Shedding in ferrets occurs 2 times a year and usually drags on for 1 to 2 weeks. At this time, the animals often feel discomfort and itch a lot, sometimes even interrupting sleep because of this. Proper nutrition can make shedding less noticeable to the animal. To do this, when feeding, along with the usual food, the ferret should be given vitamin preparations for wool with taurine. It must also be remembered that when a shedding ferret licks itself, particles of wool enter its body. To prevent clogging of the intestinal tract, it will be useful to add a special paste to the food, which will help the animal get rid of the hair in the stomach.

The diet of pregnant females also requires additional vitamins and nutrients. First of all, you should increase the proportion of dairy products in the menu, which are a source of calcium, which is necessary for laying bone tissue in future puppies. You can apply a solution of kefir and calcium chloride, adding it to food 3 ml per day.

The amount of fat in the menu of a pregnant female should also be increased. This can be achieved by feeding the animal with egg yolk and fish oil 2 to 3 times a week.

Since females begin to molt on the 20th day of pregnancy, vitamins that are applicable during molting can also be given to the expectant mother. In addition, there are a number of vitamin complexes that will be useful for pregnant ferrets:

• Calcidee от «8 in 1»;
• SA-37 (SA-37);
• Calcefit-7;
• Trivit;
• Tetravit.

What not to feed ferrets

Often, owners seek to pamper their pet with a treat, however, if you give the animal anything, this can be fraught with consequences. In order for the ferret to be healthy and active, the following foods should be excluded from the animal’s diet:

• all products containing sugar and salt;
• bakery products
• soy products and mushrooms;
• any hot dishes;
• pork and offal from it;
• lamb and offal;
• river fish;
• smoked products;
• soups;
• fried foods;
• raw vegetables, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic;
• spicy food;
• unground bones;
• unground cereals;
• milk, sour cream, kefir and yogurt;
• nuts and dried fruits;
• dry food for dogs;
• chips, popcorn, cereals and crackers with flavorings.

Even in small quantities, such food can greatly harm the body of a ferret. Therefore, no matter how the animal asks for another goodie, you should refrain from feeding your pet with prohibited foods. Instead, it is better to give the animal, for example, special drops for ferrets or a piece of banana.

Conclusion

Although it may seem that feeding a ferret at home is quite troublesome, however, if you follow the recommendations and take proper care of the animal, then all efforts will pay off with the playfulness and healthy appearance of the pet.